The annual Quest for Texas Best competition has commenced! Keeping the most delectable culinary creations from talented Texans across the Lone Star State in mind, H-E-B has named 20 finalists bred with culinary passion to move to the next phase of the competition. Expect a delicious mix of brats, brittle, sauces, pickles, mixes, mixers, cookies, and crickets.
“Since its inception in 2014, our sourcing team has sifted through more than 3,000 products in the Quest for Texas Best competition. This contest has yielded nearly 450 unique products worthy of company-wide distribution and awarded nearly $400,000 in prize money,” said James Harris, Director, Diversity and Inclusion, and Supplier Diversity. “We continue to be amazed at what Texans bring to the table and how their creations are received in stores.”
These 20 finalists were selected out of more than 824 entrepreneurs from 136 cities and towns across Texas. On August 7-8, before a panel of judges at the Houston Food Bank, the finalists will showcase their products and compete for a winning claim in the Quest for Texas Best.
Expert judges will select four winners based on quality, marketability, and product readiness, according to a press release. Winners will receive a combined $70,000 in cash prizes and coveted real estate on H-E-B shelves. H-E-B will award the Grand Prize winner $25,000, the title of “Texas Best” Primo Pick, and placement on store shelves. In addition, the first-place winner will receive $20,000; the second-place winner $15,000; and third-place will pocket a nice chunk of change: $10,000.
Drumroll please! Here are the 2019 Quest for the Texas Best finalists:
- 3 Sons Foods, LLC
- All Y’alls Foods
- Basia’s Pickles, LLC
- Davila’s BBQ (est.1959)
- EVOKE
- EXO
- Grain 4 Grain
- JD’s Chili Parlor
- Naughty Noah’s Vietnamese
- Le Sauce
- Lickstrips
- Lips Smacker’s
- Madge’s Food Company
- Primos
- Push Water Company
- Santte Foods
- Smokey Denmark Sausage Company
- Statesman Beverage Co
- To the Moon Family Foods Company
- Uncle Ray’s Peanut Brittle
As part of H-E-B’s commitment to providing local product options, H-E-B is the state’s largest marketer of the “GO TEXAN” logo with over 7,685 SKUS of locally produced items on shelves of which over 1,000 are Own Brand.
With Texas competing for flavor and innovation on the national and global stage, Deli Market News will keep you posted on the best of the best and what is to come.